Areina Pandor

Areina Pandor:

Into the Dreamscape pt.1

By Zöe Hayes

“To walk the Dreamscape, you must first greet the Barn Owl as if of kin, he will then grant you access and lead you home.”

These were the first words told to Areina when she was born – though she would not understand them for some time – and the words she now lived by. Oneironautics or Dream-walking was a tentative career, spanning the millennia. Those born with the natural ability to enter the Dreamscape, such as Areina, were taught from as early as 2 years old and were distinguishable by their black, starred eyes. Those who wanted to dream-walk but were not born to it, were able to begin their training at any age over 10 years old.

Entering the Dreamscape became a requirement of society when the Daemons could no longer exist in the physical realm. They began entering dreams and torturing their hosts until trapped in their own minds. When it first began, people believed a plague of Sleeping Sickness had swept the world, but the truth became clear when a Dream-walker entered a patients’ mind and found the horrors inside. The Oneironautic Association was created, and the once outcast Dream-walkers proliferated, expanding their teaching to everyone that wanted to learn.

Areina was young, though highly aware of the demand of her skills. Not only do Dream-walkers need to enter the mind of the host, but they must also be able to fight the Daemons within and destroy them. These skills were difficult to learn and not for the weak-willed. Physical strength meant little though was needed to keep the mind at its peak performance – for what the mind willed would benefit the walker – and allow the Dream-walker to succeed.

“Please miss, you are a walker, no?” A skinny gentleman with greying hair, bedraggled beard and loose-fitting clothes, asked Areina as she waited at the crossing. He had a rough voice, as if tired from illness. She turned to look at him through her sunglasses and tightened her mouth but nodded all the same. “Please, can you help? My little girl is trapped with the Sleeping Sickness. I need your help. Please?” He said in a rush, as if saying it slower would lose him the chance of Areina helping his child. She placed a hand on his arm, signaling her affirmation of his request. Bursting into tears, he placed his other hand over hers and began walking.

Ten minutes after his first words to Areina, they arrived at his home. A small bungalow, on the edge of the city, needing a new lick of paint and plaster. “Come in,” he gestured after opening the front door, which stuck against the floor for a moment, “please.” She followed him in and found the house to be well kept and smelling of orange blossom. He led her to the end of the corridor, where a door sat ajar. Opening it, Areina saw a bed – or at least the foot of a bed – painted white with a pile of what looked like blankets on top.

“Where is your daughter?” She asked, before coming to the realisation that his daughter was swathed within the blankets after spotting her fiery red hair flowing out from between them. Her eyes were closed, as if sleeping, though her skin was pale and lightly sweating with dark circles forming under her eyes. “How long has she been like this?” Areina questioned the father, moving quickly to the young girl’s side. Upon closer inspection, she was not much older than Areina herself.

“Uh a month. Perhaps less, I’m unsure. I’ve been awake so long, I cannot remember. I’m sorry…” he drifted off, tears still falling down his face and into his beard. She noticed the heavy bags under his eyes and the gaunt look to his cheeks. Some believed that if one member of the household fell to the ‘Sleeping Sickness’ they all would, so would try to remain awake until help could be found. Not all Dream-walkers were willing to help without some kind of payment for their service, which left only a few who were able to help for free.

Areina removed her coat and found a wide-set armchair to move beside the bed. “A month is a long time to be under,” she mentioned while sitting. “I hope she is not too far lost to be found. What is her name?” The man sobbed quietly, knowing there was a chance his daughter could not be saved but managed to say Niamh. “I will try my best.” She promised, nodding to him to leave the room. She never liked working with an audience, though it was always done at the O.A. With the room to herself, she settled into the chair with her legs crossed and looked up. Above her the ceiling was an inky black, penetrated by small shining spots of light. When she looked back to the young girl in the bed, a Barn Owl was stood on the blankets where her stomach would be. He was mostly white underneath with a mottling of ash-grey and tan on his wings, the round face holding black, starred eyes. Areina presented him with a dead mouse she had pulled from a small pouch bag on her waist and gave a high-pitched trill which he took and ate quickly, trilling back to her.

“Help me find her, Pandor and bring us both home.” She requested of him. Pandor flapped his wings, making no sound but filling the room with the same pinpricked darkness that encompassed the ceiling. The tiny lights began to move until one grew larger than the others, casting a white glow across all three, and hovered above the girls’ head. Pandor clacked his beak, jumped and flew into the light, Areina following behind.

*****

Landing lightly upon soft grass, waving like an ocean with golden skies and small fluffy clouds, it was hard to see why this place was nightmarish at first. Areina looked around her as Pandor flew in large circles above her, getting a lay of the land. He screeched, drawing Areina’s attention to the darkness on the horizon. She began to run towards it. In the Dreamscape, her steps were longer, and she was able to cover the distance quicker than in reality. Pandor stayed above her, silently floating on the breeze, keeping an eye out for Daemons.

"Pandor, is there anything ahead?” Areina said, she was able to speak to Pandor as if he were right next to her here, avoiding the need to shout and draw attention. He screeched to her, signaling an enemy nearby. Areina slowed her step and made her way towards a tree on the edge of what looked like a mansion. A dark, undulating cloud hovered above and the temperature had dropped rapidly, leaving goosebumps on Areina’s skin. “I see the door, Pandor. Wait for me here to take us home.” Pandor, sat in the tree, clacked his beak and settled himself on the branch, wide eyes watching everything.

Moving towards the door, Areina held her breath as she reached for the handle, reminding herself of Niamh’s face. Once she was inside, she found the entrance hall void of anything – no furniture, paintings or beings visible – and so she entered cautiously, always aware that Daemons could appear and disappear at will. A scream sounded upstairs, harsh and painful. Areina moved her way up each step, constantly looking around her, and came to the landing. Only one door was on this floor, slightly ajar with a flashing white light spilling out of it. The scream came again, the door swayed open. Slowly, Areina walked toward it and willed a silver-looking point into her hand, ready for the attack.

As she walked into the bright room – walls and floor a white tile, reflecting the light and almost blinding Areina before her eyes adjusted – she saw Niamh sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor. Nothing binding her, though she seemed in agony, another scream escaping her lips and tears pouring down her face, her hands held limply on her knees. As much as Areina wanted to run to her and help, she knew she must be careful. A noise, like scratching, alerted her to look away from the girl on the ground to the other side of the room. At first, she saw nothing until her eye drew higher up. Above them a web overtook the ceiling and, in the corner, a giant arachnid body with a humanoid torso and head was staring hard at Niamh. She whimpered, tears still streaming over her cheeks and falling onto her light blue nightgown. “Niamh,” Areina whispered, hoping the Daemon would not react to her speaking, “I’m here to help you.” The girls’ eyes snapped open and almost bulged with terror.

“Oh, please!” Niamh breathed, “Please, help me!” Desperation filled her tone, the tears falling harder and breathing becoming ragged. Areina stared at her and put her finger to her lips, before glancing at the Daemon to be sure it was still in place. As soon as she looked, it moved with an unreal speed and suddenly swiped at Niamh, making her scream. Areina leapt onto the Daemon, using the point to swipe at its legs. It screamed and flailed to get her off its back, but Areina kept going, attacking the legs to pull it away from the girl.

Her attempts seemed to be working, as its attention was drawn onto her instead. It turned, with Areina still on its back and tried to climb up the wall, but two of its legs were weak and could not find a grip so it slipped. She took the chance to stab the point through the base of the Daemon’s humanoid torso, severing the link to the arachnid legs, rendering it immobile. It screeched a deafening sound, Niamh fell from her seated position, finally free of whatever constraints the Daemon had over her, though she did not move away. Areina held the point to the base of the Daemon’s neck while it still screamed and plunged it through. The Daemon vanished from beneath her, leaving a light dust under her feet.

She turned to Niamh and found her lying on the floor, hugging her arms about herself, weeping. Letting the point dissipate from her hand, Areina moved to the girl and gently turned her, moving her upright. Niamh sobbed and latched herself onto her, she walked them both to the front door and opened it. The sky was golden outside again, there were no other Daemons in this dream. Pandor flew down from the tree and landed on the ground in front of them. “Take us home, Pandor. Please.” Areina said tiredly. He obliged by flapping his wings silently and emitting a bright light, a small breeze fluttered Areina’s short hair, and they were back in Niamh’s room. “Thank you, Pandor. Until next time.” He clacked his beak and flew out the window to the side.

Areina looked back to the bed and saw Niamh begin to open her eyes amid all the blankets that enveloped her. The colour came back to her cheeks, though the dark circles under her eyes remained. Areina reached over to her, “You’re home, I was sent to save you by your father.” The girl looked at her with a confused expression before she understood. Areina got up and opened the door to allow the father inside. He stepped in tentatively, unsure of what to expect, when he noticed his daughter slowly removing some of the blankets on top of her. His face burst into a smile and he shed a few tears, these of relief and happiness.

Areina quietly gathered herself and left before they could realise she had gone. She walked down the street, placing her sunglasses on her face and felt accomplished. She had helped a poor family get their lives back, hopefully they could finally sleep in peace. Her phone pinged in her pocket, she grabbed it and found a message from Michael to come to the O.A. immediately. Putting her phone away, she sighed and made her way, slowly, to the building where she learnt everything she knew about the Dreamscape and Daemons to probably be reprimanded for not taking payment. But she did not care in the least and took all the time she needed.